8186 Controller Going Bad

[TonyJ]

We run LabWindows/CVI 7.0 on a 8186 controller.  This particular controller is my development machine.  I'm saddened that my instrument is showing signs of wear.  Anticipate that the hard-drive will need replacing.  My concern is all the licensing issues.  By just cloning the current drive into a new drive, will I have to go through my license manager?  Is there a cloning application that NI recommends for this task?  My hope is that once cloned, my work continues without skipping a beat.  But history has shown that even small changes to my NI software creates all sorts of head-aches.  Once its working, leave it alone. 

Tony

[Doiron · Accepted solution]

Hello Tony,

The important thing here is the computer ID and the license file. If you completely clone the hard drive the license file should be fine. The computer ID is based on the MAC address normally, in which case you should be fine if you are using the same hardware. However, sometimes the computer ID is based on the disk volume serial in which case you would need to activate. You can do this automatically via the internet, online from another machine at ni.com/activate, or via phone (866-ASK-MYNI).

I don't know of any National Instruments recommended programs to clone a hard drive.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.